Mark 3
Okay, remember.... "Just the facts, ma'am! Just the facts!"
If I were Mark, writing this Gospel, and I knew that all I was going to write were just a bunch of accounts of what Jesus had done, my head would be hurting! I mean, how could you pick through what it was you wanted to give an account of? We all know the character of Peter, this overzealous, high strung dude who just wanted to tell everyone about Jesus. Can you imagine sitting down with him and taking notes? This is what Mark was doing. It probably was impossible for him to keep up!
I guess the one thing that stands out for me more than anything is in vs. 12. He orders the demons not to make Him known. Now, we would probably say.... why not? Why not let this display of otherworldly beings give testimony to who Jesus was? Wouldn't this just prove for everyone who He was? Well, perhaps, but maybe not. Jesus knew that if these possessed people were allowed to propagate the "heretic", "blasphemous", image that the Pharisees were accusing Him of, then those who sought to kill Him would have their ammo. He knew He had a mission to accomplish. And therefore, He would decide when to reveal Himself, and when to allow them to take Him to his death. Not Satan and his legions. This was the will of the Father. Jesus would not allow anything to come between Him and the Father's will.
But Mark is smart here. He allows us to see this and hear this account of Jesus commanding them not to speak of Him, so that we may see the power and authority given to Him by God, the Father. It would've been easy to leave that little tidbit out. But Mark understood the implications of what he was writing.
Thoughts?
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Interesting how the men of law were always plotting, yet Jesus gives orders to the possessed not to tell who he was. Jesus was poor, unhonoured, and he knew such a claim at that time would not be good. I believe this situation also proves the existence of evil spirits. If these people were merely sick or deranged its strange they had more knowledge than the healthy. They knew Jesus because they were under an order man does not understand. Are they around today? I believe so! Would they recognize the true Messiah before we would???
ReplyDeleteJesus was accused of being possessed. If evil knows the true messiah, could evil blindly lead us to worship the wrong one. I believe the false is coming if not already with us. Our church often pushes the importance of reading and staying in the word. This is so true because Satan would love nothing better than we go astray and take many with us.
"1Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him."
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny that they watched Him, waiting for Him to make a mistake? Are we this way? So anxiously waiting for others to mess up, comparing ourselves to them to feel superior? I'm afraid to say that we are. But there is only one ruler to measure ourselves by: God. No one else will answer for us on Judgement Day.
As I read today, I had a number of thoughts and just couldn't seem to sort any of them out and articulate them clearly. I just love when Jesus sets up situations like he did all throughuut this chapter in order to be in the perfect place, situation, and setting to teach a powerful lesson (vs 4, 9, 13, 20). I also love how He teaches with questions and parables, making us find the truth in them which is so different than just telling someone what is "right".
ReplyDeletePray for me this week. God is tapping on my heart in so many ways lately, and I just feel inadequate to be used, but remain available becuase I know God needs me. I appreciate you all.
20Then he went(AE) home, and the crowd gathered again,(AF) so that they could not even eat
ReplyDeleteWhen I picture this in my mind I think about scenes from today with papparazi trying to get a photo and pictures of Jesus on every newstand at the checkout with all the fake headlines and how we would want to know everything about Jesus but for all the wrong reasons. To grab every article to seek out every picture out there, to google him. I think sometimes if the world treated Jesus like the King He is, we would know soooo much more about Him. Why is it we can follow every celebrity on the face of the earth and copy their ways but not seek and follow Jesus and live to emmulate him?? Me included..I am guilty of reading the latest entertainment news right along side my weekly bible homework. I wonder how the world would react to some of the headlines that would have played out in Jesus' times.....
V6 “Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.” It is amazing how threatened the religious leaders and politicians were of the amazing things and life changing lessons Jesus did and taught. The Herodians, fearful of a radical shifting in political views, and the Pharisees fearful of the spiritual influences Jesus was having on the public. I have always wondered what the Pharisees’ state of mind was. Were they truly frightened of Jesus’ teachings and people turning from the true law? Or were they simply fearful of losing power and having people turning from the laws created and imposed by man?
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